nativisme

Forms

nativisme m (plural nativismes)^[2]

Etymology

It is formed from French natif + -isme, probably after German Nativismus.^[3][4] The Grand Robert, the GLLF and the Académie give only the French derivation, without the German model.^[1][5][6] Littré traces it to Latin nātīvus (“native, inborn”).^[7]

Earliest recorded meaning

It is first recorded in 1876, in Fouché de Careil's Leibnitz et les deux Sophies, as a term of philosophy.^[3][4] Littré's supplement defines it as the quality of being innate.^[7][5]

Semantic evolution

The current sense, the theory that the perception of space is given directly by the senses rather than acquired through experience, is recorded by Larousse in 1888.^[5] It belongs to physiology and philosophy, as do the adjective nativiste (1888) and Bergson's nativistique (1889).^[4][8] The word is opposed to empirisme and génétisme.^[3][8]

The Wiktionnaire also gives a political sense, an ideology that favours the natives of a country and opposes immigrants.^[9]

Timeline

• 1876 – First recorded, in Fouché de Careil.^[3][1][4]
• 1877 – Littré records it in the sense “quality of being innate”.^[5]
• 1888 – Larousse records the current sense, and nativiste appears.^[5][8][4]
• 1889 – Bergson uses nativistique.^[4]

Meanings

Noun

1. (philosophy, psychology) The theory that the perception of space is innate, given by the senses, and not acquired through experience; more widely, the view that some cognitive structures are innate.^[3][8][6][9]
2. (politics) nativism: an ideology that favours a country's natives and treats immigrants as a threat.^[9][2]

Word family

• nativiste

Related words

• natif
• German Nativismus
• Latin nātīvus

Usage notes

In its philosophical sense the word is the opposite of empirisme and génétisme.^[3][8]

References

1. ^ a b c Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
2. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
3. ^ a b c d e f Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
6. ^ a b Académie française (1992–2024), Dictionnaire de l'Académie française, 9th ed., Paris: Académie française / Fayard / Imprimerie nationale
7. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
8. ^ a b c d e Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
9. ^ a b c Wiktionnaire (French Wiktionary), fr.wiktionary.org